Agenda - 11-09-2006-1c - Laserfiche WebLink

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On November 1, 2006 the Hillsborough Historic District Commission approved the project's Certificate of Appropriateness. This allows the project to move forward to the Hillsborough Board of Adjustment for consideration during their November 8, 2006 meeting. Assuming expedient approval by the Board of Adjustment, the project specifications will be solicited for bids by the end of December 2006, with receipt of bids slated for mid January 2007. Construction is likely to begin by April 2007, with completion anticipated Fall 2009. The District Attorney, Jim Woodall, has requested that his department be allowed to relocate from the Courthouse to the current Sheriff's building after the new construction is completed. The DA's offices were scheduled to expand into offices being vacated by the Clerk of Court on the first level of the New Courthouse, however, with several new positions funded during this fiscal year, coupled with the promise of at least one new attorney and support staff funded for FY 2007 -2008, available space within the courthouse is not sufficient to meet the DA's long -term space requirements. An area will remain in the New Courthouse for use by the District Attorney and staff as staging area on court days, but in general, all District Attorney operations will be based in the 144 E. Margaret Lane facility. Further, out of concern for his long -term expansion needs, the Sheriff has expressed a desire to have space in the old portion of the Courthouse allocated to his department, in addition to the approximately 15,000 square feet of new space in the new addition. It is likely that some of the space made available by the DA move will be allocated to the Sheriff's Office. Chapel Hill Coin Facilities Two additional facilities are utilized in order to deliver court services in Chapel Hill: the Old Post Office, owned by the Town of Chapel Hill and located on Franklin Street and the Moody Building in Carrboro, which has been leased by the County for ancillary court services since 1987. Additional study regarding the long -term accommodations for court services in southern Orange should be initiated. However, cost implications of providing adequate school and county facilities, in addition to funding the expansion of the Hillsborough court facility dictate that construction of court facilities in southern Orange be considered beyond the scope of this study period. Update: The Board has recently requested that staff pursue discussions with the Town of Chapel Hill to determine the long -term viability of Court facilities in the Old Post Office on Franklin Street; and to further to explore opportunities at that site to develop the required court-related services for which the County is mandated to provide. Should permanent options to providing the space be made available at the downtown site, the County may be able to consider alternative uses of the building footprint previously discussed as the area for future court expansion at the Homestead Road campus. IV